Current sectionMiddle East NewsIran NewsMojtaba Khamenei's order could further frustrate Trump and complicate talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until Iran's enriched uranium is removedShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeReuters01:59 PM • May 21 2026 IDTIran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a directive that the country's near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran's stance on ‌one of the main U.S. demands at peace talks.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Iran - U.S.Iran nuclearNuclear weaponsIranIsrael - IranBenjamin NetanyahuDonald TrumpMojtaba KhameneiCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesGaza FlotillaTrump-IranIsrael ElectionsU.S. MidtermsNakba DayShavuotHaQuizHaaretz PodcastKhamenei Says Enriched Uranium Must Stay in Iran, Senior Iranian Sources SayTurkey to Send Planes to Israel to Collect Gaza Flotilla Detainees'Why Should Israel Belong to a Belgian Jew More Than to a Druze From Here?'The Secret Israeli Unit Spying on Teachers Who Criticize the GovernmentBen-Gvir Vies for Next National Security Term or Someone on His BehalfRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHundreds Protest at New York Times HQ Over Column Alleging Abuse by IsraelisICC Prosecutor Seeks Warrants for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Other Israeli OfficialsEverybody Loses in the Cynical Israeli-Palestinian Sexual Violence CompetitionIsraeli Settler Filmed Abusing Palestinian-owned Dog in West BankWelcome to the Most Shameful Day in the Jewish CalendarIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter Attacked